Won't you allow me to love you?
by MissLogophile
Summary: Marinette and Adrien's paths are always crossing. Whether as Ladybug, or Chat Noir, or simply their normal civilian selves, they find a way to interact with each other, in and out of the mask. A reveal story through the four ships- Marichat, Ladynoir, Ladrien, and Adrienette.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

It all started when Chat Noir was aimlessly jumping around from rooftop to rooftop one day.

It was a Saturday, and it just happened to be one of those rare days in which Adrien had no photoshoots or modelling assignments scheduled. He had spent the morning studying and catching up on his homework, and then, having nothing else to do, he had decided to step outside for some exercise. As Chat Noir, of course.

So there he was, propelling himself with his baton, randomly wandering across the sun-scorched rooftops, and waving to a few Parisians who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the black-clad superhero.

He breathed in the fresh air with delight, the sun feeling warm on his suit. This was one of the times when he truly appreciated being Chat Noir- the feel of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he vaulted himself towards the sky, the rush of air fanning his cheeks, and the feeling of freedom lending wings to his heart.

Stopping for a moment to try and get his bearings, he glanced around, when he heard it.

A giggle.

The afternoon was quiet and peaceful, the overhead sun in the sky drenching the city in waves of heat. Aside from the random car or person, nobody seemed to be around.

 _So where had that girlish giggle come from?_

He looked across the road then, belatedly noticing a familiar bakery, and the unmistakable laughter that ensued from a sunlit balcony.

 _Oh. It's Marinette._

She was sitting in a patch of shade on her balcony, and seemed to be having an animated conversation with someone, though as far as he could tell, no one else was there.

 _Maybe she's on the phone with Alya or someone._

He vied within himself, debating what to do. Should he go over and say hi? But it's not like they interacted much when he was in his superhero form. And obviously she wouldn't know that it was her classmate talking to her. Would it be weird?

His curiosity got the best of him, however, and he jumped down onto the road, then across to the balcony.

"And so, Tikki," Marinette was gesturing with her hands animatedly, when she noticed the shadow in front of her and let out a small shriek.

"Talking to yourself, aren't you, little lady?" Signature smirk in place, Chat Noir perched on the railing, head tilted to the side inquisitively.

"Ch-Chat Noir?" she looked up at him, startled and surprised. She stood up rapidly, looking nervously round at her trap door. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"Why does everyone assume that something has to be wrong whenever I show up?" he fake-pouted, crossing his arms defensively across his chest.

"Well, you are a superhero. Your job is to save people when things go wrong, after all." She pointed out. She seemed to have lost her shocked expression, and was now looking at him curiously. "Soo….. what are you doing here?"

"I was just dropping in for a nice _chat._ " He wiggled his eyebrows, grinning.

She frowned, and the expression seemed familiar to him, somehow. He couldn't quite place it, though, so he let that thought go.

Marinette's voice sounded hesitant. "Okay, I guess," she replied uncertainly.

"Oh, by the way," Chat's ears perked up, "Marinette, wasn't it?" When she nodded, he continued, leaping lightly down from the railing and facing her. "Who's Tikki?"

Marinette froze. "Uhh… what?" She squeaked.

"You were saying something when I came," he pressed her. "I just wondered who you were talking to."

Her laugh sounded a bit high-pitched and strained when she answered. "Umm….actually….."

 _How do I get myself into these situations? What do I tell him now? I don't even have my phone with me so I can't use that as an excuse! Ugh, why does he_ HAVE _to have such sharp ears….._

She looked around desperately, for something, _anything,_ to play off as a good excuse, when her eyes landed upon her plants.

"I was just talking to… my plants! Yeah!"

She grabbed a plant pot and nearly shoved it into his face.

Chat Noir looked a bit startled. He stepped back a little. "Oh," was all he said. "Do you do that often?"

"Yes, TOTALLY! I looove talking to my plants, all the time! They're like my…. friends or something! They're such good listeners, you know?" She babbled.

She tried to muster a grin, hoping she wouldn't pass off as a total weirdo in front of Chat.

Chat Noir looked at her. She was grinning weirdly and seemed to be red in the face. He decided to reassure her.

"That's so cool!" He smiled widely at her.

Marinette set the plant down carefully, looking surprised. "It…. is?"

"Yeah! I've heard that it's scientifically proven that talking to plants helps them grow better! And you give them names and all? That's so cute!" he beamed enthusiastically.

Marinette flushed guiltily. How she hated telling lies. "Ohh, yeah. Totally cute and all." She mumbled, embarrassed.

She changed the topic rather rapidly. "So, got no superhero stuff or anything to do today?" She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Yeah, and when I saw you, I just wanted to say hi, Princess." He winked. "Aren't you happy that the most handsome superhero of Paris decided to visit you?" He flexed his muscles, trying to appear cool and dashing.

She didn't look impressed at all. "Are you expecting me to thank you, then, for gracing me with your presence?" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Chat Noir let out a chuckle as Marinette glanced at him searchingly, wondering if he had seen Tikki and put two-and-two together. He gave no indication that anything was out of the ordinary, so she decided all was safe.

She joined in his laughter, and then the two of them simply stared out at the view of Paris in the afternoon, sleepy and silent.

"I guess I should get going now," Chat Noir said, after a while, removing his baton and checking the time. "It's time I get back home."

"Alright." She smiled a small smile at him.

He hesitated, then gently grabbed her hand and placed a small kiss on it.

"Bye, Marinette! See you sometime!" He called, extending his baton. Before she could react, he was gone.

Marinette sighed, absentmindedly rubbing the hand he had kissed, as Tikki peeked out from the hatch. "That was a close call!"

"I know, right? We've got to be more careful from now on, Tikki," Marinette said, descending into her room.

* * *

Chat Noir jumped through the huge windows of his room and transformed back into Adrien. Plagg materialised in front of him, cackling deviously.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" Adrien asked suspiciously.

"So, _Tikki_ and all huh," the kwami said, stressing the word in an unnatural manner. "Heh heh heh. I cannot _believe_ this." His eyes were full of mirth, as if he knew some great secret that no one else did.

"Yeah!" Adrien said enthusiastically. "Marinette is so cute, isn't she? I can't believe how she names her plants and all! I wonder what names she gave to the other plants!"

Plagg sighed dramatically. "Yeah, totally _adorable,"_ he said sarcastically. " "Absolutely _wonderful_."

Adrien just looked at him strangely.

"Don't you worry," he said, flying up to Adrien and patting his head. "Someday you'll understand. Hopefully sooner than later. _Hopefully in this lifetime._ " Muttering under his breath, he shook his head gravely, although his gleaming green eyes didn't look all that serious.

Adrien's features formed into the most confused and bewildered expression ever. "Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing," Plagg said mysteriously. "Nothing to worry your little golden head about."

Adrien sighed in frustration. He hated it when Plagg got into one of his moods and would answer everything cryptically. "Whatever."

"Ladybugs love plants, though." He said, carefully watching Adrien's reaction.

The blonde-haired model turned to look at him with more confusion evident on his face. "I thought ladybugs liked _flowers._ "

"Flowers, plants," Plagg dismissed the words with a wave of his tiny paw. "The same thing."

"What's _with_ you today, Plagg?" Adrien asked, turning on his computer and throwing a curious glance towards the kwami over his shoulder. "You're acting weird."

Plagg smacked his tiny forehead. _Well, I did try my best._

"Speaking of Ladybugs and flowers….." Adrien grinned to himself. "I have an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The streetlights of Paris glittered, beautiful and serene as its heroine, clad in her usual spotted splendour, swung through the night towards her destination.

Ladybug loved Paris. It was her city after all, her hometown, but it was so much more than that. She loved her city for its inspiring monuments, artwork, and elegance, but never did it exude so much tranquillity and harmony, as it did during the night.

For the superheroine, being Ladybug had been, at first, a duty, a responsibility to bear. And while that aspect remained partly true, lately she had begun to look upon this responsibility more in the light of a wonderful, unique, and novel experience.

For who could truly say they knew what the city of love looked like, from an aerial view, as one flew through the air, with all the lights and colours flashing beneath?

To feel your breath catch in your throat as you fell towards the ground, only to pull yourself up a moment before and once again soar through the sky?

Seeing it from the Eiffel Tower was amazing, but… seeing the city while almost flying through the air was totally different.

With these pleasant thoughts in mind, Ladybug landed on a particular rooftop, catching sight of a black-clad figure advancing to meet her.

"Hey there, my Lady," Chat Noir said, seeming for some reason, partly excited and partly nervous. "How are you this fine evening?"

Ladybug smiled up at her partner. "I'm fine."

She walked back to the edge of the rooftop, taking in the view of the city she had just patrolled. Even seeing it so many times, it never failed to awe her.

"Ladybug." Her attention was brought back to Chat Noir, who had come to stand beside her.

"Will you accept this?" he removed his hands from behind his back, and held out a small bouquet.

"For me?" Ladybug gasped in surprise and accepted the bouquet gingerly. She delicately touched one of the orchid's beautiful purple and white petals in awe. "It's beautiful, Chat Noir, but I have to ask… what's the occasion?" She glanced up at him from behind the bouquet, curiosity evident in her blue eyes.

"Well…." Chat Noir blushed a little at her gaze and nervously scratched his neck. "My kwami kind of said something about how ladybugs love flowers, and I thought.. why not give my Lady some? If you don't mind accepting it, that is," he said quickly, not wanting to impose on her.

"Thank you. That's sweet of you, Chat Noir," Ladybug smiled brightly, and Chat felt his heart would beat right out of his chest.

 _Oh, that smile. He would give her world if she asked, if only to see her smile._

He cleared his throat and stepped a little closer to her. "My Lady," his voice was low as he looked at her questioningly. "Do you know, perhaps, the meaning behind these flowers?"

Ladybug lowered the bouquet and locked eyes with him. "Not really?" she asked, a bit hesitant and unsure.

Her eyes searched his, wondering why he was asking her that question. _Surely he wasn't going to-?_

His green eyes were gleaming in the faint light, and Ladybug felt uneasy, not knowing what was coming next.

"Orchids represent beauty, strength, and….. _love._ " He said, his voice quiet and intense in the night air.

A warm blush covered Ladybug's cheeks as Chat Noir's words sank in.

Chat Noir was so very sweet and thoughtful. Beneath all the bravado and flirty exterior, lay a heart that was as gold as his unruly locks.

It felt nice to be so wanted and loved. And although Ladybug had never considered him anything more than a friend before today, at his words, she couldn't help but feel the shyness and delight bubbling in her heart.

She stepped forward, feeling a tiny bit of pleasure in the way his eyes widened.

Before she could even think through what she was about to do, she leant forward and let these new and unknown sensations control her impulses.

She placed a kiss on his cheek, almost feeling the way his face heated up under her lips in a fierce blush.

"Thank you, kitty."

And just like that, she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Adrien was on cloud nine for _weeks_ after that incident.

His friends had all commented on the lovestruck expression and distracted air which hung about him, but he just replied to all their questions with a sigh or an infuriating "Nothing."

Nothing they said could snap him out of that state of seemingly extreme bliss and ecstasy.

 _His Lady. Had. Kissed. Him! Was this even real life?_

He let out another sigh of adoration, and Nino facepalmed. The guy had it bad, whoever the girl was.

.

.

Marinette, herself, was in a similar distracted state.

She couldn't believe she had done that! It was just on the impulse of the moment, and why, oh _why,_ did she let herself succumb to the atmosphere?

 _Now Chat will think I have feelings for him, he'll feel betrayed when I tell him the truth and he'll expose me to the whole of Paris as a liar and a cheater!_

 _Then I'll have to give up being Ladybug, I'll no longer see Tikki and Adrien will be disgusted and hate me forever! Hawkmoth will take over Paris and it'll be all my fault!_

As Marinette's brain concocted all these irrational fantasies, she sighed loudly and slammed her head on her desk.

Although… it wasn't as if she _regretted_ kissing him….. or anything….. She was just afraid of the consequences.

Alya and Nino looked from one to the other, bewildered.

" _We have weird friends,"_ they thought simultaneously.

* * *

After school, Marinette couldn't take it anymore. She had to do something, _anything_ , to divert her thoughts.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

.

.

As she swung through the city as her alter-ego, she couldn't help but feel better. The rush of air against her face felt cool and refreshing, and she simply let herself give in to the pulsing adrenaline without thinking much of unnecessary things.

Suddenly, a thought came, unbidden, into her mind.

 _What if Chat Noir sees me and decides to transform? I'll have to face him then! I'm not ready for this confrontation yet!_

Panicking, she swung down into the nearest alley and was about to call off her transformation, when a voice called out to her urgently. "Wait! Ladybug!"

She turned around sharply, nearly spraining her neck. "Who's there?" She demanded.

The golden hair and concerned green eyes of Adrien Agreste came into view.

"Ad-Adrien?" Ladybug blurted out. "What are you doing here?" She stepped closer to him.

Of all people, she hardly expected _him_ to be around that area.

He was blushing as he approached her, rubbing the side of his neck in a gesture that was endearing, yet oddly familiar at the same time. "Well, I-I was just out for a walk. I happened to have some free time after school." He stopped a few inches away, looking bashfully down at her.

"Ohh," Ladybug replied dumbly.

She glanced up at him and was instantly entranced by his eyes, shining green and bright and a little awe-struck as they stared into her own.

The electricity between them was intense and palpable as neither knew quite what to say.

She shook her head to keep from melting into a blushing puddle. She was Ladybug right now, not Marinette.

Another pair of intense, playful green eyes came into her mind and she blanched.

"What were you doing here my- I mean Ladybug?" he said hastily. "Uhh, not that I mean to pry or anything, you know, I just wondered, there isn't an akuma? Right?"

Adrien looked at her shyly, still with the hint of a blush on his cheeks, and Ladybug just wanted to hug him there and then.

Instead, she forced herself to give him an answer. "No, uh, no akumas or anything. Nothing to worry about." She dismissed thoughts of a certain superhero from her mind, then smiled at the love of her life a bit shyly. "I was just, err, doing some exercise. Clearing my head a little."

"Oh." Adrien said, looking relieved for whatsoever reason. "That's good to hear."

An awkward silence stretched between them. Ladybug broke it first.

"I should get going," she said, wanting to talk more with him, but not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah. Superhero stuff and all, right?" Adrien chuckled nervously.

"Yeah," Ladybug giggled. She had never seen Adrien look so nervous and shy before. "See you later."

She turned away and glanced at him over her shoulder. "And Adrien? Thank you for alerting me before I transformed. Not many people would give up the chance to see who Ladybug is under the mask."

"You're welcome, Ladybug. I'd-I'd do it for you again. Anyday." He said earnestly.

She threw in a wink for good measure. A flash of a yo-yo and red spots later, she was gone.

Adrien slumped against the wall of the alley, emitting a love-struck sigh as Plagg flew up to him. "Wow," he breathed. "Ladybug _winked_ at me."

Plagg made a disgusted noise.

Suddenly he stood up straight, the clouded expression vanishing from his eyes as realization dawned on him.

"Wait. Before Ladybug was about to detransform, she said….."

His eyes widened in shock.

.

.

" _Tikki."_

* * *

Adrien paced around his room, the events from earlier still fresh in his mind.

Ladybug had been about to detransform. He had been about to see her. She winked at him. And….

She had said the word 'Tikki.'

 _The same word which Marinette had claimed was the name of her plant._

He stopped pacing and threw himself on his couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Plagg, what does this all mean?" the bewildered model asked.

Plagg shrugged and continued eating his Camembert. "Sorry, but you have to figure this out on your own, kid."

"It has to be a mere coincidence, right? The fact that Marinette named her plant Tikki, and that Ladybug's kwami could be named Tikki?"

He got up and resumed his pacing. "Or maybe I heard wrong. It could be Mickey, or Nikki, or-or Kiki."

Plagg snorted. "Hahahaha!" he let out a shout of laughter, holding his sides. "That's… so….. dumb…. I can't!" He burst out laughing again. "Hahahahaha!"

Adrien pouted and crossed his arms defensively across his chest. "You are NOT helping, Plagg." He informed the still-laughing kwami crossly.

Plagg finally quieted down, wiping a stray tear or two away from his eyes. "Look, kid," he glanced at Adrien, who was not looking amused, "Just think about it. You're bound to get an answer." He returned to his cheese, still cackling a bit.

Adrien huffed in annoyance. Ignoring the kwami, he went up to the window, and rested his head against the cool glass panes.

The setting sun cast its orange shadows about the room, as Adrien closed his eyes and thought about both Marinette and Ladybug.

What did he know about them? They both had the same hairstyle. He had noticed that before. And the same blue eyes.

But the similarities ended there. Or did they?

 _It just can't BE possible,_ Adrien's mind stubbornly whispered.

Ladybug was brave, confident, sexy, and a total badass. Marinette was timid, shy, sweet, and pretty.

Ladybug was grace and agility personified. Marinette was a little bit-okay maybe a _lot_ \- clumsy.

Ladybug was rational, analytical and smart whereas Marinette was impulsive and hasty.

He voiced all his thoughts to Plagg. "And that's why," he finished, "That's why they CAN'T possibly be the same person."

Plagg shook his head, something akin to sorrow appearing over his features.

"Adrien," the kwami said, in an unusually serious voice, "I'm going to give you a piece of my mind now, so listen."

Adrien gulped. Plagg being serious and speaking in that tone could never bode well.

"I've been with so many Chat Noir's down the ages," Plagg began slowly, "and they all made the same mistake that you are currently making. "No, don't interrupt," he held up his paw as Adrien indignantly opened his mouth to protest. "You can say whatever you want later. Just listen."

He took a deep breath and continued, "All those attributes of Ladybug you listed are also Marinette's. After all, she _is_ Ladybug, so obviously whatever characteristics are there in Ladybug are also there in her. It's just that, her personality changes in the way _yours_ changes when you become Chat Noir."

"However, you've been so blinded by the magic and glamour of the Miraculous," Plagg said quietly. "You've been so in love with Ladybug that you forgot to see her past her mask to the person she really is."

"You've fallen in love with a mask. Not a person." He finished.

"But Plagg," Adrien weakly said, flopping down to the floor, "I said that whoever was under that mask, I'd love that girl. No matter what."

Plagg flew away, stopping a minute to look at Adrien over his shoulder.

"If Marinette is Ladybug-"

"Can you love Marinette for being Marinette?"

"Or," he said, watching the way Adrien's eyes widened, "Do you only love her because she's Ladybug?"

.

.

Silence flooded the room as Plagg's words were absorbed by Adrien.

Suddenly after a while, Adrien spoke.

"I never thought about our situation that way, Plagg. You were right, I can't simply transfer my affections to Marinette just because she's Ladybug."

Plagg looked at him inquisitively, knowing there was more to come.

"But," Adrien continued, "There never was a time that I didn't think Marinette was amazing. In her own way. Yes, I'm surprised that she's Ladybug, shocked maybe even but…. As you said, I too am nothing like my normal self when I'm transformed."

There was a determined glint in his eyes now as he stood up and faced Plagg.

"Marinette deserves so much more than someone's half-hearted affections. And when I tell her about my identity, about my real self, I'll ask her if she's willing. To let me love her, not only as Ladybug but also as Marinette. To be able to love her, not only as Chat Noir but also as Adrien."

He turned and smiled at his kwami. "It wasn't a lie, you know, when I said I'd love her whoever she was under that mask."

Plagg looked at his holder, a proud smile stretching over his face. "Adrien," he stated, "You are as wonderful as Camembert."

"You're comparing me to that disgusting cheese?!" Adrien asked aghast.

"It's the highest compliment I can ever pay to anyone," the cat-like kwami said haughtily. "You should be thanking me."

A fond smile appeared on Adrien's face. "Thanks, Plagg," he whispered. "For everything."

"You can thank me with Camembert."

.

.

Adrien flopped down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling unseeingly. "So it's true then?" he sighed dreamily. "Marinette really is Ladybug?"

Plagg rolled his eyes, preferring not to answer.

"So… that day…. She was actually talking to her kwami on her balcony?" He realized.

"If by kwami, you mean _Tikki,_ then yeah."

Another sigh from the lovesick boy. Plagg almost gagged. Why did humans _have_ to be so disgustingly emotional?

"No wonder she seemed nervous," the model recalled fondly. "I thought something was off."

"Well, _duh._ Your princess is about as bad as lying as _you_ are at seeing the obvious."

"Hey!" Adrien exclaimed, a little bit offended. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it _obvious?"_

Adrien turned off the lights and rolled to the side of the bed, making room for Plagg.

He had thought that Marinette wasn't Ladybug because of the way she acted. But maybe, he thought with a stab of dismay, that was only around _him._

He remembered so many instances, too many to name, where she was not Ladybug, nor Marinette, but somehow, _both_.

Her courage. Her willingness to help her classmates. Her intelligence and creativity. Her passion for what she loved.

The way she stood up to Chloe.

 _So THAT was why Ladybug didn't seem to fancy Chloe all that much,_ he thought with a chuckle.

All the scenarios, all the experiences he had had with both Marinette _and_ Ladybug came to his mind, and it was astonishing how effortlessly everything fell into place. So many loopholes and missing links somehow clicked together to form one, big picture.

Adrien found that he rather liked this picture.

 _Only one problem,_ his mind sleepily filtered the thought to him.

 _How will I tell her all this?_

And-

 _Will she be okay with me being Chat Noir?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

A few days passed before Adrien could work up the courage to tell Marinette-slash-Ladybug that he knew her secret.

Akuma battles weren't exactly the best places for such confidences, and neither was school.

Speaking of school-

Adrien's face heated up for the fourth time that week as Marinette entered the classroom, impeccably on time for once. A bright blush burned its way over his cheeks as Nino looked at him knowingly.

Knowing that your superhero partner- your very _beautiful_ superhero partner, I may add- was sitting right behind you in class- was absolutely no help in the blushing department.

It also absolutely did not help that the same superhero partner was the love of your life. Who was adorable in _and_ out of the mask.

Adrien's eyes widened as a certain incident from not too long ago entered his memory.

 _Orchids represent beauty, strength, and….. love." Chat Noir said, his voice quiet and intense in the night air._

 _MARINETTE, with her stunning blue eyes, soft creamy skin, and pink lips_ , _leaning in to ki-_

He banged his head on his desk repeatedly as Nino looked on with no little concern and alarm.

A tap on his shoulder from behind nearly made him scream.

He could almost hear Plagg rolling around with laughter in his bag.

He turned around and looked into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Adrien?" He felt his face heat up and his stomach flutter at the shy manner in which she uttered his name. "Are you-are you all right?"

He forced himself to speak. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Perfectly all right. Never been better. Best day of my life."

Now _Nino_ was snickering and Alya looking amused. _Great. Just great._

"Okay," Marinette clearly didn't believe him but didn't dare mention it. "If you say so."

Maybe it was the adrenaline of being so close to her, or the way in his brain clearly shut down in her presence, but Adrien never regretted anything more in his life than the words that came out of his mouth next.

"Maybe you could kiss me better."

 _Abort. ABORT, MISSION ABORT!_

 _Now was NOT the time to be Chat Noir!_

A stunned silence fell, before Nino snorted and let out a roar of laughter. Alya was trying to cover her mouth with her hands but clearly not succeeding in hiding her hysterics.

And he couldn't be sure, but maybe Plagg just died laughing.

Meanwhile, Marinette-

Marinette was flushing so red, her face could give Nathaniel's hair a run for its money.

"I mean! I MEAN! I'm so-so-sorry Marinette!" He turned around and buried his head in his hands, not daring to turn behind.

* * *

The rest of the school day was torture. Adrien couldn't for the life of him remember what he had been taught. All he could hear was the whispers of the girls behind him, and Nino's nudges as to what was going on.

When the school bell rang, he released a sigh of relief, completely prepared to make a quick getaway and wallow in his room in humiliation.

Only to be stopped by a tug on his sleeve.

.

.

"Adrien?"

He froze. Resisting the urge to run away, he turned slowly towards the voice.

"Marinette, I'm so sorry for earlier," he said desperately. "I didn't mean-I wasn't trying to-"

The girl looked shyly up at him. "That's all right," she said softly, "It's just that- are you really sure you're okay?"

His heart swelled at the obvious concern and worry in her voice. _She was so sweet and adorable and it was doing things to his heart._

"Yeah, I'm," he tried to phrase his words coherently, "I'm just- coming to terms with something I realized recently."

Marinette shifted nervously, twisting her hands around each other in a gesture he had see her do often. "Would you like to- you know-err, talk about it? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, I just asked because maybe if you wanted to talk I'd be glad to listen, not that you have to or anything-"

"Actually," Adrien smiled at her a bit mysteriously, "I'd _love_ to have a chat with you."

She blushed. "Re-Really?" Marinette asked wonderingly, not believing her luck.

He removed his phone and tapped out a message. "Yeah, I just have to inform my bodyguard first. It's a good thing I don't have any fencing classes or Chinese today."

"Okay," she managed to squeak out. _She had asked Adrien out! And he agreed to talk with her! He trusted her enough to tell her his problems!_

"Then can we go to your house?" he inquired shyly, putting away his phone. "I really love your bakery's croissants and quiches."

Marinette dumbly nodded. "Uhh, this way!"

.

.

When they entered the bakery, Marinette turned to Adrien hastily. "Do you mind waiting here till I clean up my room a little? It's a terrible mess."

"Sure, go ahead," he offered.

As he waited for Marinette to re-appear, he turned over the little speech he had prepared in his head and tried to imagine the various scenarios that could occur once he uttered those fateful words.

Marinette came down the stairs and beckoned to him shyly. "We can go up now."

Before he could follow her, Marinette's mother appeared with a plate of croissants and quiches. "Adrien, dear, so good to see you again," she smiled at him affectionately.

"And you too, Mrs Dupain-Cheng," Adrien said politely.

"School project?" she asked, curiously.

"Something like that." Marinette quickly answered, and not giving Adrien a chance to either refute or deny her reply, grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs, Sabine waving to them cheerfully.

"Sorry about that," she shyly said once they were in her room, letting go of his hand quickly. "My parents tend to get a little nosy, so I was not sure what to tell them."

"It's fine," Adrien dismissed her apology. He looked longingly at the plate of croissants which Marinette had taken from him and set on her desk.

 _Well, first things first._

"So…." Marinette began hesitantly once they were seated, Adrien on the chaise and she in her computer chair. "Something's been bothering you lately?"

Her voice was uncertain as she regarded him quietly after posing her question.

Adrien was puzzled for a moment before he realized she was probably referring to his *cough* recent behaviour at school.

"Ahh, about that…." He trailed off, not quite sure where to begin.

"Adrien, call I tell you a secret?" Marinette suddenly said.

"Err….sure?" He replied, surprised at the change in topic.

"Well, I-" The girl's face was red now as she tried to formulate her words. "I-I know Ladybug." She ducked her head down, as if embarrassed.

Adrien's eyes nearly bulged comically out of his head. "What?" He asked disbelievingly. _Why would she say THAT of all things?_

Marinette, however, merely mistook his reaction for scepticism. "It's true," she said, growing bolder. "So-So if you have any problem or whatever, I can contact Ladybug for you and she'll totally help you! I pr-promise!"

Silence fell between them as Adrien slowly processed her words.

A comfortable warmth grew in his chest. _This girl. She was willing to risk her identity to do that? For him?_

Now was the perfect time to tell her. But first-

"Why?" He asked bluntly. "Why would you do that?"

Marinette looked startled, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. "Err… because…."

She felt silent, not knowing what to tell him. Adrien waited patiently.

"Because," she said eventually, glancing anywhere but at him. "Yo-You're my friend."

He glanced searchingly at her, somehow disappointed by her answer, but not knowing why.

"You're amazing, Marinette."

And he meant it. In every aspect.

"No, I'm not- I mean- you're amazing too! I mean- err, thank you?"

He laughed, and she shyly joined in his laughter.

Adrien took a deep breath. _It's now or never._

"No, I mean it. You _are_ amazing, Marinette. You were willing to put your identity at risk to help out a friend."

Her eyes snapped to his, wide with fear and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Adrien said with finality, "I know you're Ladybug."

The tension in the room was palpable. Marinette broke the silence first with a strained laugh.

"What, me? Ladybug? That's not possible, haha, funny idea right?"

His next words nearly made her fall out of her chair.

"Please don't lie to me, Bugaboo."

Marinette gasped. "Wh-what? I don't understand!"

He got up and knelt down in front of her, a very Chat-like smile on his face.

"Sur _purr_ ised to see me, milady?"

"I guess the cat's out of the bag." A small cat-like creature came flying out of Adrien's shirt, languidly glancing at the scene in front of him. "Hey bug! Where's Tikki? I want to talk to her."

Marinette snapped out of her shock, looking from a sheepish Adrien to the bored kwami. "Adrien, you're Chat _Noir?"_

Plagg rolled his eyes. "And here we go again," he said sarcastically.

"Oh shush, Plagg." Adrien tore his eyes away from Marinette's shocked face to see a tiny red spotted kwami drag a reluctant Plagg away somewhere.

He got up and rubbed the back of his neck shyly, a gesture Marinette absently realized that she had seen both of them do on different occasions.

"I just can't believe it." She said softly, sinking down into her chair and clutching her arms over her chest.

Adrien drew closer to her and tilted her face up. "I was surprised and shocked, too, at first," he said gently, tenderly caressing her face. "But I'd never want milady to be anyone other than you."

He explained to her everything, and finally, she seemed to accept that all their secrets were out.

She allowed herself to be pulled into an embrace by Adrien-Chat? Burying her head into his shoulder and inhaling his scent, she attempted to make sense of all the revelations that had been thrown at her in the space of less than a minute apart.

Chat Noir was Adrien. Adrien was Chat Noir.

 _Oh my gosh_. _What even is my life anymore?_

They broke apart but still remained in each other's arms, bashfully stealing shy glances at the other.

.

.

"I love you."

The words which she had so desired, coming out of Adrien's mouth would have thrown her into the highest state of ecstasy at any other time. But now…..

She folded her arms around herself, trying to sort out all the contradictory feelings of heart-fluttering happiness, and sinking disappointment.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, Adrien intervened.

"I know what you're thinking," his voice was soft and compassionate as she slowly raised her eyes to his face. "You're wondering if I only love you because you're Ladybug." At her surprised look, he continued, "Honestly, if Plagg hadn't given me a thorough talking-to, I wouldn't have known either. But I thought very deeply about this, about _us,"_ He was pleased to see a faint blush darken her cheeks. "And I decided to give you the choice."

"Me?" She looked intrigued and wondering.

"Yes." Adrien mustered up all his courage. "My Lady, I fell in love with you since the first day we met. That day, when you faced Stoneheart so confidently, I said to myself, 'Whoever is under that mask, I love her, that girl.'"

"I fell in love with Ladybug… and now I'm asking you…. Will you allow me to fall in love with Marinette also?"

The girl in question gasped, tears quickly filling her eyes.

Adrien was looking at her earnestly and sweetly, and she could feel the sincerity radiating off him.

She stepped closer to him and hugged him around his waist, making him stiffen with surprise.

"I will….. if only you allow me to love Chat Noir. I'd always loved Adrien, you see," she whispered breathlessly against his chest.

Adrien's smile was tender and affectionate as he cupped her face and pulled her closer. "Deal."

* * *

 **Bonus**

Ladybug smiled as her eyes fell upon the bouquet of roses in Chat Noi'r hand. "Flowers for me again, Kitty?" She teased.

The cat in question smirked. "Well, since flowers- or rather plants- were the reason this whole situation took place, I thought it'd be fitting for our first patrol after knowing each other's identities." He held them out to her.

Ladybug accepted them, burying her face into the fragrant blossoms. "I'm assuming that there's a special meaning behind these as well?" She smiled coyly.

Chat Noir drew closer to her, eyes gleaming raw and tender. "You know me so well."

She blushed under his gaze and returned her attention to the roses.

"White roses mean I care about you," the superhero drew closer and placed a kiss on her forehead. She hummed in delight.

"Yellow roses symbolize friendship." He kissed her cheek.

"And red symbolizes..." he let his words trail off as she leaned up towards him, eyes shining with affection.

.

.

"Love."


End file.
